Video Library

TITLE:

Common Ground
Sandra Lopez Burke & Meredith Traquina - City Year

DATE:

05/06/2014

DESCRIPTION:

During the second half of the show, host Sheriff Steve Tompkins talks with Sandra Lopez Burke,
V.P. and Executive Director of City Year and Corps member Meredith Traquina from the Hennigan Elementary school in Jamiaca Plain. The talked about the amazing work City Year is doing in the Boston Community and across the nation. At City Year, they believe education has the power to help every child reach his or her potential. However, in high-poverty communities there are external factors and obstacles students are faced with every day that can interfere with their ability to both get to school and be ready and able to learn. These students need extra, individualized support, to help them overcome the challenges they’re facing. But there’s a gap between what the students actually need and the support the schools are designed to provide. The result of this gap is a shockingly high dropout rate in high-poverty communities. But, there is a solution. In urban communities dropouts are often highly concentrated, so we’re able to identify and target the schools that are in need of extra support. From there, we can start working to put students on the right path to graduation—that’s where City Year comes in. At City Year, they partner with public schools in high-poverty communities to help bridge the gap between what students need and what schools are designed to provide. In doing so, we’re helping students reach their full potential and make it to graduation in communities all across America.